Infrastructure Equipment Beamforming Weight Vector Application
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile communications networks face challenges in extending radio coverage to low-complexity, narrowband devices, particularly in receiving control signals and performing channel estimation due to varying channel conditions.
Innovation Solution
The infrastructure equipment applies the same beamforming weight vector to multiple physical resource blocks transmitted via a plurality of antenna ports, allowing terminal devices to average channel estimates and improve signal reliability without requiring feedback from the device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coverage extension is implemented by repeating signal transmissions, then radio coverage is extended for low-complexity devices, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the coverage extension problem by applying different beamforming weight vectors to different antenna ports and physical resource blocks. This allows the system to extend coverage through coordinated multi-port transmission while keeping individual device complexity low, as each device receives optimized signals for its specific channel conditions without requiring complex processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the beamforming weight vector parameters across different antenna ports and resource blocks to optimize coverage. By varying these parameters, the system can extend radio coverage to edge devices while maintaining manageable device complexity through standardized reception protocols.
2Device complexity
If narrowband transmitters and receivers are used to reduce device complexity, then device cost and power consumption are reduced, but control signal reception becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces beamforming weight vectors as an intermediary mechanism between the narrowband transmitter and receiver. The infrastructure equipment applies different beamforming weight vectors to different antenna ports, which shapes and directs the control signals to improve reception reliability for narrowband devices without requiring the devices themselves to be complex.
3Adaptability or versatility
If channel conditions vary in time, frequency or spatially, then communication adaptability is improved, but channel estimation accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different beamforming weight vectors to different antenna ports and physical resource blocks, creating locally optimized transmission characteristics. This allows the system to adapt to varying channel conditions in different spatial and frequency regions while maintaining accurate channel estimation through port-specific weighting that compensates for local channel variations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the robustness of ePDCCH reception by averaging channel estimates across subframes and PRBs, enabling reliable communication even in challenging channel conditions, which increases the reliability of the ePDCCH and allows for lower signal-to-noise ratios or fewer repetitions.
Implementation Method 1
a same beamforming weight vector is applied to one of the antenna ports for at least a subset of the plurality of physical resource blocks
Data Source
AI summary
An infrastructure equipment for a mobile communications network, including: a transmitter configured to transmit signals to one or more terminal devices via a wireless access interface including a plurality of antenna ports, and a controller configured to control the transmitter to transmit the signals to the one or more terminal devices. The transmitter is configured to transmit a plurality of physical resource blocks to the one or more communications devices. A same beamforming weight vector is applied to one of the antenna ports for at least a subset of the plurality of physical resource blocks.